Metal band Salvaticus finds beauty in the order of things

It’s the day after Earth Day, and Kevin Ardrey, Brian Weaver and Carter Felder —three of the four members of local black metal band Salvaticus—sit on a worn wooden bench under an open-air roofed shelter at Ivy Creek Natural Area. The dogwoods and redbuds have bloomed, clouds move through the blue sky and a breeze […]

Album reviews: King Tuff, Cardi B, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Parquet Courts, Dr. Octagon and Goat Girl

King Tuff “The Other” (Sub Pop) Didn’t King Tuff used to rock? Last year, an exhausted Kyle Thomas paused to recover and reflect—and he’s clearly going for some kind of contemplative statement on “The Other,” (yes, the title carries those pretentious quotes). But whether about alienation on the titletrack or about toxic technology on “Circuits in […]

ARTS Pick: The National balances darkness and light

Known as a band that details its personal evolution and society’s ills through the somber delivery of cryptic lyrics, The National is often pigeonholed as brooding and melancholy. But its obsessive fanbase, officially named Cherry Tree, finds optimism, hidden messages and even tattoos (of lyrics) in the euphoric undercurrent of the group’s music. Tracks on […]

ARTS Pick: Spamalot brings British humor of the highest (Ex)caliber

Billed as a “musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Spamalot parodies the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table using British humor of the highest (Ex)caliber. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, debuted in 2005 and collected three Tonys, including Best […]

ARTS Pick: The Andrew Collins Trio flexes its musical muscle

The Andrew Collins Trio has been at the center of Canada’s acoustic music scene since 2005, and its catchy, explorative tunes have made their way to folk fans across the continent. Headed by the accomplished multi-instrumentalist from which the band takes its name, and completed by fellow string virtuosos Mike Mezzatesta and James McEleney, the […]

ARTS Pick: Margo Price tells her truth

Hailed as an up-and-coming country star, Margo Price has succeeded in telling her story through vivid songwriting and compelling performances. From the loss of her family’s farm, to selling her car and pawning her wedding ring to buy studio time, Price’s journey is authentically crafted into songs drawn from experience. Her sophomore album, All American […]

Shared history: A portal to the past runs through West Main Street

From 1988 to 1992, two recent UVA graduates, Chris Farina and Reid Oechslin, set out with a camera, 16mm film, little money and no lighting equipment, to interview residents of Charlottesville’s West Main Street. They wanted to learn more about their newly adopted hometown by inquiring into the lives and histories of the people tethered […]

Movie review: Super Troopers 2 is sometimes funny, sometimes not

Though Broken Lizard found mixed critical and financial results with its subsequent follow-ups to the 2001 cult hit Super Troopers, you do have to hand it to the guys for wanting to try something different before coming back around to the property that launched their film and TV careers. The underrated Club Dread was perhaps […]

The Attachments play sane punk as art reaction

After band practice on a recent Monday evening, the three members of The Attachments lean back on couches in drummer Jack Richardson’s Belmont living room. As the day falls into dusk outside the window, they drink beers and bottled teas while a record spins punk music at a low volume in the background. “I came […]